1933 American Austin Bantam Coupe

Sir Herbert Austin enjoyed success with his Austin Seven minicar in Britain with solid sales and much interest in the little cars. The narrow roadways and many towns in Britain was very suitable location for such a small car. In 1929, Sir Herbert Austin brought his cars to the United States in hopes of selling a franchise. He was able to secure financial backing from bankers in western Pennsylvania and established the American Austin Car Company in Butler, PA. To properly 'American-ise' the vehicles to appeal to the tastes of the American public, the cars were given flashier lines in a similar fashion to cars from Detroit. Hayes Body Company submitted proposals by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a Russian count who had become their art director. Soon the company began offering its roadsters and coupes. They advertised in a brochure with the illustration done by Esquire artist Lawrence Fellows. Possibly the most appealing aspect of the vehicle was its price tag, which started at $445 making it one of the most affordable vehicles on the market. Unfortunately, its competition was the similarly priced, yet bigger, Ford Model A.

The American Austin cars were given a Bantam rooster as its mascot which was placed on the radiator cap. Under the bonnet was an engine that was nearly an exact duplicate of the ones found in the British cars. As 1930 came to a close, a total of 8558 examples had been produced. The following year 1,279 were manufactured and the company entered into receivership. By 1934, production was halted. Shortly thereafter, Roy Evans, a Florida dealer, reorganized the company into the American Bantam Car Company and commissioned Sakhnoffsky to update the vehicle's styling.

The new Bantam car was introduced in late 1937 and production would last until World War II. During the War, the company was able to secure a contract with the US Army to produce the Jeep, however, their limited factory capacity meant they would soon lose the contract to Willys and Ford. For the duration of the war, the company produced utility trailers. When civilian production resumed, the company remained in business until 1956.

This 1933 American Austin Model 375 Coupe was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $3,000 - $5,000 and offered without reserve. It sold for $1,375 including the buyer's premium.

The 375 featured a four-cylinder L-head engine that displaced 46 cubic inches and produced 14 horsepower. There were a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. The 75-inch wheelbase was held in place by a solid front axle with transverse leaf springs and a live rear axle with quarter-elliptic leaf springs.

This particular example is in need of a major restoration. It was disassembled many years ago and its rebuild and restoration were never completed. Part of the sale included its headlights, radiator, hood, and front bumper. The body is reported to be straight and solid but the fabric roof is in very poor condition.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007